LATEST ADDITIONS

Ed Selley  |  Jan 12, 2012  |  0 comments
Master of drama Richard Stevenson finds it hard to resist this 3D-capable, connection studded AVR, despite its chunky price. He wants to keep it forever...

Onkyo’s flagship TX-NR5009 receiver is so crammed full of goodies I really don’t know where to start. The big price ticket might put some off, but I reckon it’s spectacularly good value. It has all the high-end goodies, too, such as the massive toroidal transformer, separate power supply for A/V processing and a multi-layer chassis to reduce vibration.

Ed Selley  |  Jan 12, 2012  |  0 comments
AV austerity Lacking in features you might expect, Onkyo’s first 3D Blu-ray player appears outgunned on every flank, says Steve May

Onkyo has carved itself a formidable niche in the lower-to-midrange AV receiver market by following a Tesco-like philosophy: piling features high and keeping prices low. But that’s not the route it’s taken with disc players. Here the company has played a purist card, which is admirable yet fraught with commercial peril.

Ed Selley  |  Jan 12, 2012  |  0 comments
Taking Aventage Richard Stevenson test drives Yamaha’s new range-topping universal 3D Blu-ray player – and ends up watching more of Avatar than he ever wanted to

Yamaha’s new Aventage series is a crop of top-flight AV components that the blurb says is a dramatic and inspired leap forward. They are clearly not talking cosmetically, because the flagship BD-A1010 networked Blu-ray player is a chunky and traditional-looking beast. I quite like it.

Adam Rayner  |  Jan 12, 2012  |  0 comments
It's time to form an orderly Q... Adam Rayner reacquaints himself with KEF’s pioneering Uni-Q driver technology – and enjoys picking and choosing his own 5.1 array

Just for once, I am going to give you the meat and potatoes straight away, we can wait for a moment for the narrative… These speakers are bloody brilliant, in many ways and on a good few levels. They draw upon lots of their predecessors’ technology, and while KEF makes speakers going right up to cost-no-object levels, this new Q Series (as against the still-sold ‘Classic Q Series’) have been made to a remarkably keen price for what they do. This has been done both by cutting corners where possible (the grilles aren’t magnetic, for instance) and using evolved, proven design cunning for the sonic result to be so amazingly uncompromised everywhere else.

Ed Selley  |  Jan 12, 2012  |  0 comments
The envelope pushes right back Sony's top-of-the-line 55in HX923 series LED TV is ambitious in terms of design and specification. But that may be a problem, says Steve May

Sony’s KDL-55HX923 is nothing short of spectacular. With a skyscraper-inspired glass frontage and (optional) smart Monolithic Design stand, this TV is certain to attract admiring glances. But there’s more to this thin 3D screen than good looks. Beneath the hood lurks a wealth of picture processing tech, plus a few surprises.

Ed Selley  |  Jan 12, 2012  |  0 comments
Although a certain type of AV enthusiast shudders at the very mention of ‘processing’ in a TV, the reality is that no decent telly can produce good pictures without using at least some processing.
Ed Selley  |  Jan 12, 2012  |  0 comments
Stuck in the middle Optoma's first 3D PJ offers Full HD at a very aggressive price point. But that’s not enough for John Archer

If you want to get a handle on what makes the Optoma HD83 one of the year’s most interesting projectors, all you have to do is take in its price: £2,400. This makes it comfortably more aff ordable than the likes of Panasonic’s AT5000 and Sony’s VPL-HW30ES.

Anton van Beek  |  Jan 12, 2012  |  0 comments

The fifth outing in this popular horror series gets the franchise back on track after the disappointing fourth flick. The setup is still the same as ever, but the ensuing scenes of stereoscopic slaughter are more mischievous and distressing than ever (Eye surgery! Acupuncture!). It also finds time to add a new wrinkle to the series’ mythology. Great fun.

HCC News Team  |  Jan 10, 2012  |  0 comments

Bang & Olufsen has used the CES trade show, currently taking place in Las Vegas, to highlight three new hi-end products that will be hitting available through its approved dealers in the very near future.

HCC News Team  |  Jan 10, 2012  |  0 comments

On April 30, 1912, Universal Film Manufacturing Company came into being. Flash-forward 100 years and Universal Studios is now one of the biggest players in Hollywood. To celebrate a century of film production, Universal Studios is planning a yearlong celebration of its cinematic legacy, including a series of extensive film restorations and the long-awaited Blu-ray debut of a number of its classic films from the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg.

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